With over 20 years of experience covering the Steelers for the Observer-Reporter, Dale Lolley will let you know the insider scoop. Dale can also be heard on the Steelers radio network pre-game show on WDVE-FM game days and Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. on ESPN 970-AM during the season as a host of the Antonio Brown Show. Follow him on Twitter at @dlolleyor

Parker had 14 first-down runs for 32 yards, setting up a lot of second-and-longs and forcing Roethlisberger to make more plays.

"We kept running on first down trying to pop something,'' Parker said. "We tried all night, but it didn't happen. But it's a great sign that we tried. We knew we were going to try to run the ball from the start."

i realize that sort of gameplan worked against Baltimore's Flacco-led offense, but i sure hope we mix it up a little more in the SB.

that run, run, pass approach is why the "game manager" label for Ben never made sense to me. IMO, it's a lot harder to make plays on 3rd and long when everybody knows you have to pass than it is on first down (a la Donovan McNabb and the West Coast offense)

I can see your point, but I bet if we rush the ball 14 times on first down we will probably have more like 60 yards to 32. Probably at LEAST double.

Against Baltimore it was done to keep the D honest and allow Ben to make plays. Against Arizona, lets hope we run about 20 times on 1st down...mostly in the 4th quarter as we run the clock down on a nice long drive.....